Draft-rigging.



PATENTED JULY 23, 1907.

J. E. MUHLP'ELD. DRAFT RIGGING. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26, 1906.

W w l "UNITED sTATEs JOHN E. MUHLFELD, OF

BALTIMORE, UARYLAND.

DRAFT-RIGGING.

I No. 860,932. Specificationof Letters Patent. Patented July 23, 1907.

Application tiled November Z6, 1906. Serial No. 345,206.

To all 107mm it may concern:

lle it known that Ti, JOHN E. Monti-stm a citizen 'oi the United Stats,.residing in Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful improvement in Draft-Rigging, of which the following is a specifcation.

My invention relates to improvements in draft rigging, and more particularly to improvements in the means for connecting the draw-bar and yoke for cars or locomotives. Y In draft rigging heretofore generally in use, wherein the draft yoke is rigddlyconnected at its front end to the rear endof the draw-bar by a pair of rivets and interengaging gibs orshoulders on the yoke and draw-bar, the rigid construction tends to lift the high side wheels from the track rail in passingaround short curves and exerts a shearing strain on the connecting rivets and yoke, and makes it difficult to couple or uncouple cars when on a curvedtrack or where a curved track joins a straight track. i

The object of my invention is to provide a simple,` strong, efficient and durabledraw-bar and draft yoke construction and connection in which the draw-bar may swing laterally to a limited extent as required for coupling on curves, and for enabling coupled cars to pass freely around short curves, or where curves join straight tracks without exerting any shearing strains on the rivets or connecting gibs between yoke and draw-bar; and in which, notwithstanding the pivotal connection between the'draw-bar and yoke, the saine shall have a safe and substantial fastening capable of successfully withstanding the great strains or blows to which draw-bars and draw-bar yokes are subjected in practical use; and in which, at the same time, the construction shall also be such as will allow the Master Car lluilders standard coupler to be applied when repairs are necessary on a foreign railroad line without renewal or alteration of theyoke.

My invention consists in the means I employ to prac tically accomplish this object or result, the same being shown in the accompanying drawing and hereinafter desclibed and more particularly pointed out in the claims. A l

In the accompanying drawing forming a .part of this specification, Figure l is a side elevation partly in vertical sectioxi of a draft rigging embodying :ny invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view partly in horizontal section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged central longitudinal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 through the connection between the draw-bar and yoke. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of the rear end of tho draw-lau', the same also indicating the bottom face thereof, as the top and bottom faces are preferably identical in construction. Fig. 5 is a detail inside f-.tee` view of one limb of the yoke. l"ig. G is a detail view illustrating the application of myvimprovcd draw-bar yoke to' an ordinary standard Master Car Builder coupler when this is necessary for repairs,

In the drawing, A represents a ear coupler, l the l draw-bar, D the yoke and C C the connecting rivets extending through the rear end of the draw-bar and through the front ends of the yoke.

and G the side plates or stop castings.

The draw-bar B, at the rear end thereof, is .furnished with two rivet openings b bl, one of the saine, preferably the rear one, being circular and the other, preferably the iront one, being a slot or elongated transverse] y, and preferably a curved slot about. the other rivet hole b as a center. v The rear end of the draw-bur is also provided on'each ofuits upper and lower faces with two curved should ers b2 bforming a curved slot or recess b4 between them t0 receive the curved gib or shoulder d at the front end of the yoke. The rear curved shoulder b2 on the draw-bar preferably has an undercut 11" to give a better hold upon the curved gib or shoulder!! of the yoke. The curved gibs or shoulders d on tho upper and lower limbs d1 cl" of'the yoke l) are truncated or provided with straight portions d3 at each side or end to engage the shoulder b of an ordinary standard Master Car Builders drawfbar Bl, as shown in Fig. (i, when it is necessary to replace my draw-bar B therewith in making repairs or replacement on another road. The draw-bar strap D is furnished with holes cl" d" to receive the rivets C C by which the draw-bar is pivotally connected with the yoke. It will be understood that the rivet holes or openings b b1 in the draw-bar and fl" d* in the yol D are placed the standard distance apart as in standard Master Car Builder' couplers now generally in use and that the straight shoulder l on each limb of the yoke is also located in relation to the rivet holes for coperation with the gib or shoulder b on the drawbar Bl of the standard couplers now in use: so that the standard couplers may be readily appliedv to my improved construction of yoke when necessary for repairs, and when couplers having my improved construction of draw-bar are not at hand. The curved gibs or shoulders lia b" on the dra.v-b.u' are struck about the pivot hole b as a center and the curved portion of the gib d on the yoke Dis also struck about the rear rivet hole d4 as a center,

In my improved construction of draft rigging with the draw-bar pivotally connected to the yoke by a number or connecting rivets and intereugnging curved gibs or shoulders, the front draft rigging spring and the front follower operate to automatically center the draw-har or retain it in its central position as the draw-bar cannot swing to one side without causingr some eompressifm of the spline', owing fo the flat or square face If at the rear endof the draw-bar which eugages the front follower, and as the spring is always E are the followers of the draft ligging, F the springs lunder some tension. At the same' time, the draw-bar is suiicieritly flexible tomovelaterally to the limited and yoke` one of the-rivets passing through a hole in extent required for coupling on curves or where tangents join curves or to enable the train of coupler cars to pass over curves, etc. The 'oblong hole or slot b1 in the`draW-bar through which one of the rivets passes in connection with the rive `,'1imits the'laterally swinging movement of the draw-bar by contact of the rivet with the walls of the oblong hole or slot to the small extent necessary to enable the train of .cars to pass around curves, etc.. and thus prevents excessive lateral movement of the draw-har and consequent jackkning or toggling of the yoke and draw-bar .under buing stresses. In my improved construction, it Will also be seen that the interengaging curved gibs or shoulders on the draw-bar and yokeserve to operate to take both pulling and butling strexssesand thus to relieve the rivets in part from strain or shearing action.

4Iii/practice the rivets C are preferably driven from opposite sides, so that one of the two rivets may have a tight t in each limb ofA the coupler yoke, the limb -on the side from which the rivet is driven, as this affords a closer and snugger connection or one`with the least possible amount of play and puts the stress more .uniformly upon both limbs of the yoke. The heads c c of the rivets C C and the riveted ends ct thereof thus engage opposite limbs of the yoke.

In the drawing, I have illustrated my inventionas applied to the more customary construction Where but two rivets are employed to connect the draw-bar the draw-bar and serving'as the pivot about which the draw-bar swings, and the other passing through an elongated hole or transverse slot in the draw-bar. It

the liimbei oi connecting rivets increased, it` will of course be understood that all the rivets excepting the one which serves as'the pivot about which the draw-bar swings, will pass through slots in the drawbar so that the draw-bar can turn laterally .as'rcq uired. I claimr- 1. In a carcoupier'draft rigging, the combination with the draw-bar furnished at its rear cnd with a rivet holek and a transversely elongated rivet opening or slot, and provided on its upper and lower faces at its rear end with 'front and rear curved shoulders or gibs, of a yoke having pivotally connected thereto and a pair of connecting rivets about one of which the draw-bar swings as a pivot, the

draw-bar and yoke having interengaging curved gibs 0r shoulders, the gibs or shoulders on' the yok`e being also adapted to fit and engage the draw-bar of the ordinary or standard couplersubstantially as specified.

3. The combination with a draw-bar yoke, of a draw-bar and a pair of connecting rivets, the draw -bar having a transversely extending slot for one of the rivets, the yoke being provided with curved gibs or shoulders on its upper land lower limbs, and the drawbar beingprovided on its upper and lower faces with frou'tland rear curved gibs or shoulders fitting and engaging the curved gibs or shoulders ou the yoke, the roar curved gib or shoulder on the dreivbar and thc corresponding -face of the curved gib or shoulder on the yoke being under cut, substantially as specified;`

. JOHN E. MUHLFELD.

Witnesses Ff W. Russa. Il. M. I-lmNkuNsHiI. 

